1. Field of the Invention
The invention related herein is a combination athletic shoe and resilient exercise and physical therapy device. Specifically, an exercise apparatus that can be worn by a user in association with an athletic shoe during physical therapy, walking, jogging, running, or other aerobic types of exercise is disclosed. The subject apparatus comprises, in combination with a typical athletic shoe, an elongated adjustable length, two ended resilient or elastic body element, with a releasable wrist attachment means at one end, and a releasable shoe attachment means at the other end. The shoe attachment means is adapted and configured to releasable attach to eyelets, shoestrings, or other suitable locations on the shoe. Usually, a pair of the resilient exercise devices are utilized by the user.
2. Description of the Background Art
A variety of tension-based resilient exercise devices have been devised in the past to meet a number of personal exercise and training requirements. However, the prior art has not addressed the need for a resilient exercise device that can be quickly attached to ordinary athletic shoes without the need of any additional straps or other securing elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 843,478 discloses a physical exerciser having a belt worn about the waist, and two elastic cords attached to the belt through guide rings. Both elastic cords have hand grips at one end, and foot harnesses at the other end.
Described in U.S. Pat. No. 866,495 is a similar exercising device with two elastic cords, each having hand grips at one end and a foot stirrup at the other end. The elastic cords are attached to a belt worn about the waist by guide rings that are on movable slides that can be positioned about the belt.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,012,802 presents an exercising device based on a non-elastic member having handles at each end. The handles are movable and can be adjusted to the user's outstretched arm span.
Related in U.S. Pat. No. 1,618,273 is a body exerciser having a waist encircling belt, a chest encircling belt, and two elastic members that run down the back of the user's leg to foot pieces. Two elastic members extend from the back of the chest encircling belt with hand grips on the ends, and are worn over the user's shoulders. Another elastic member extends from the back of the chest encircling belt to a head piece.
A device for training golfers is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,498,006, having an elongated resilient member with a wrist encircling element at one end and a heel attachment at the other end. The device is adjustable to apply resistance at the desired point of the user's golf stroke.
An exerciser is related in U.S. Pat. No. 2,097,376 in which various elastic cords are secured to the torso, arms, and feet of a user. The hands actively grasp the elements for exercising the arms.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,529,820 presents a bust development device having an elastic cord with elbow harnesses at each end. The device is worn behind the user's back.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,162,441 discloses a universal exerciser that has spring coupled pulleys that interact with a continuous cord that leads to the feet and hands.
Shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,838,852 is an elastic type exercising device that has a two ended elastic member that extends into two flattened loops, one at each end of the member. During use, one or more of the elastic members may be interconnected.
An elastic type exercising apparatus is related in U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,580 having at least four elastic straps joined at a central junction at one end, and terminating in handles at the other end. The handles permit the user to grip more than one elastic strap at a time in order to increase the amount of tension during the exercise.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,840 discloses a resistive exercise device utilizing two elastic members having handles at one end and loops at the other end. The two elastic members are held together by an adjustable clip connector that can slide along the elastic members and vary the tension of the device.
An exercise device with a two ended stretchable elastomeric line is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,155. The elastic line is of fixed, unstretched length and has hooks at each end. The device is utilized to connect one body part of a user to a fixed object.
A portable isokinetic exercise device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,874 comprising an elastic loop having two handles and a central elastic retainer sleeve that contains the elastic loop between the handles.
A selectively connectable resilient exercise apparatus is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,505 having an resilient tube with a connectable hand grip and connectable foot strap. Additional resilient rings can be added to increase the resistance of the apparatus as the user increases strength.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,608 is an athletic movement trainer in which a two ended continuous elastic cord is fed through a ring mounted in a belt worn by the user. Each end of the cord is secured to an ankle of the user. The device reminds the user of correct posture.
Three different exercise devices are credited to Wilkinson. First, an exercise device for resistance walking is related in U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,272. The device has a waist band that is coupled to elastic cords that run to the hands and feet. The cord to the feet is configured as a "Y" with the single member attached to the band and each of the arms to an ankle or foot. Second, a coordinated arm-leg aerobic walking exercise device is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,377. A waist harness is fitted with a rigid but variable length and angle projection that includes a ring at its far end. Elastic or non-elastic cords are anchored to a users wrists and ankles. Each cord is fed through the guides in the harness and through the ring on the projection. Third, an aerobic resistance exercise garment is depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,701. Many variations are presented from simple wrist to ankle cord means to an entire body suit fitted with numerous rings and anchor points for associated cords.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,916, issued to the subject inventor, is directed to a resilient exercise device that is secured to a user's foot via a foot attachment strap. The foot attachment strap fits within the user's shoe and includes coupling rings for attaching a clip fitted to one end of a resilient cord. The subject invention improves upon the '916 device by permitting a user to quickly affix the resilient exercise device to standard athletic shoes without any additional components.